Daikanyama

Daikanyama is a place in Tokyo close to Shibuya that is known for being a bit upscale- lots of boutiques, overpriced cafes, that sort of thing. The Japanese term for it would probably be おしゃれ(oshare) which is one of those annoying words that has a few meanings when translated to English but basically it means fashionable, stylish, etc. Not usually my cup of tea but I had an English Lesson with a student in Daikanyama and realized what a great little place it is! There is a Tsutaya (Kind of like a Borders Bookstore, Barnes and Nobles, if Amazon.com had a store?) that is the most beautiful Tsutaya I'd ever been to! 

You're not allowed to take pictures inside so I had to steal these off the internet but it's such a lovely bookstore! It's made up of two separate buildings connected by a brige/walkway and has an 'affordable' Starbucks cafe and also a more expensive cafe inside so you can have a coffee while you read their magazines. 

The atmosphere at night is so nice! There are fairy lights on all the trees and around the outdoor tables and chairs. The Tsutaya is located in a courtyard kind of place so there are other shops and restaurants nearby. 

The magazine selection was incredible! They had so many familiar foreign magazines (Real Simple, Better Homes and Garden, etc) that it felt like I was back home

This is the snazzy more expensive cafe - it looks like an art gallery! All of the coffee tables and even the bar were made out of what looked like stacks of hardback books. 

Since I had fallen in love with that Tsutaya bookstore and couldn't stop talking about it I took Emelie there after school one day to show her how amazing it is. Clearly we're not quite fashionable enough for this part of town but... oh well! There was a teeeeeny tiny dog park in the courtyard area and this statue (of a dog?) was stood in front of it. 

There was also a snazzy pet shop/groomers behind me, I tried to find something for my dog but no luck. Well, to be fair the store was aimed at dogs in Tokyo which are usually poodles, chihuahuas or other tiny breeds. And also my dog doesn't wear clothes. At least I don't think so, it has been a few months since I've last seen her...